I agree, but the part about not caring if it’s NATO is something Zelensky said himself.

If Ukraine were to surrender territory, they would have to be allowed into NATO, to be secured from repeat attack from Russia.

I do think that’s one of the more realistic scenarios expected under Trump, though I’m not sure about it having to rest specifically on NATO and not some other written security guarantees. However, in that scenario, Russia gets to keep its gains and the world returns to business as usual, as we saw after Russia’s actions in Moldova, Georgia, Syria, Ukraine in 2014, etc (and that’s just the military involvement, not to mention the countless influence and infiltration campaigns, isolated sabotage and killings in Europe, among other things). It could stop Russia from moving forward in Ukraine, but it wouldn’t stop Russia from choosing another target as it always has.

From my link:

Of course, this means Russian President Vladimir Putin’s thuggishness will be rewarded, that there will be no accountability for the bestial nature of his army’s atrocious behavior or the unlawful, detestable deportations from occupied parts of Ukraine to Russia. The axis of autocrats will be emboldened in their determination to smash the old global order.

But there’s no other alternative. Short of a “forever war” or Western powers becoming combatants themselves — or at least putting their economies on a war footing to supply Ukraine with much more than they currently are — that’s the cold hard reality.

And according to a Republican foreign policy expert familiar with Zelenskyy and his circle, Kyiv understands this. Asking to remain anonymous in order to speak candidly, Kyiv now reckons Trump may well turn out to be a better option than Harris, he said.

Also:

After Trump’s win, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who’s being tipped as the new secretary of State, said that Russia’s war against Ukraine had reached a “stalemate” that’s costing lives and “needs to be brought to a conclusion.” He described Ukrainians as “incredibly brave and strong,” but also noted “the reality of the war.”

Zelenskyy understands that too — not that he’s going to shout it from the rooftops. As war-weariness mounts, public opinion in Ukraine has been changing, especially among the young, who are the most willing to accept limited outcomes. According to a poll conducted this summer, only 40 percent of those aged 18 to 25 think Ukraine should fight until it liberates all its territory.

The US support has always been viewed as crucial, which is probably why Zelensky was so eager to please Trump by being among the first to congratulate him. If you were to ask me, I’d say Europe is strong enough to help Ukraine win, but one could argue that the will would wane if America pulls out. Moreover, there are reports that suggest the Ukrainian decision-makers are prepared for territorial concessions.

Right, though I can foresee some concessions regarding Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia had a presence in Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea for a lot longer.

So how would he act on his concepts of a plan on stopping the war quickly? In what world would Putin agree to give up the gains of 10 years with so much lost?

Dustborn is a good game that has been incredibly misrepresented. Take the “you are racist” scene copied and pasted from video to video for example. It’s presented as the game’s Black protagonist just accusing two cops of racism for no reason.

In the actual game, it’s one of the multiple dialogue choices that may not even happen if one of the protagonist’s friends intervenes. The context that is omitted from the culture war videos is that the protagonist comes out of the bathroom of a diner and sees two Justice officers:

• Talking about arresting her friends for no reason other than being tired of waiting for the waiter.
• Going on a long rant about Anomals (read as mutants of the X-Men, which is one of the inspirations behind the game), saying they’re monsters whose babies come out damaged, missing body parts, and that they shouldn’t procreate at all so that there are “fewer scourges on the planet”.
• Asking the protagonist questions (which is fine for a police officer) while being disrespectful, like when she says she’s in a band and they ask if she’s the groupie.
• Depending on the player’s actions, the same officers may also ask if the protagonist and “the Black kid” from her crew are related, then among themselves argue on whether that’s racist, to which the protagonist may reply with the Trigger Vox, which results in the “you’re racists” phrase.

Also worth noting that from the very first scenes of the game, the player is discouraged from using the special abilities, Vox, as they force people to do things against their will, so many players would never see that reaction intended to be over the top (as evident from the in-game post-chapter choice stats indicating that the majority don’t use Vox on other occasions).

Not if Trump forces Ukraine to give up the three occupied regions.

Imagine using ad hominem to dismiss factual and easily verifiable points.

Not at all. For one, there can be no sense of national pride in a game made outside your country.

There’s no backlash when they are sexualized and exist for the male gaze. Them being complex, independent and strong is seen as a threat.

The sister was undoubtedly the better protagonist, but given the backlash to women and non-white people in leading roles even now in 2024, imagine what it would have been like back then. Ubisoft was playing it safe, and even now with Shadows they are trying to play both sides both in the rhetoric and probably in the choice of having two protagonists.

Comparing it to Wukong is unfair. Any game primed for success in China will have astronomical numbers just by virtue of the population size.

YouTube makes sure to remind me, even though I’ve never watched any of the videos or anything related.

Criminal of you to forget about Asmongold.

I’d argue the vast majority is anti-wokeism. It’s just that the slightly smarter types understand that their fascist views don’t appeal to the general public, so they disguise them as genuine complaints about the game. You’ll see the same thing in the complaints about the fire in space in The Acolyte, even though it’s always been the norm in the Star Wars films.

Linux is self-serving for them because it’s the only way to not have to pay a third-party for licensing the OS. Enjoying the side effects of that is still fine though.

Love is love.

It’s a great game but I wouldn’t call it uplifting at all. Some of the why is already in your comment. Some people may also get frustrated by being in a loop and having to start over time after time. Some of the puzzles aren’t easy, which again may add to the frustration.

Why do people even talk about that game? It’s like a pyramid scheme. Do they get paid to advertise it or do they feel internally pressured to justify their investment because it’s not paying off?